Undoubtably Cairns is very touristy but that meant lots of choice for us in the form of restaurants (ice cream parlours) and things to do which we loved! Overall we found it very modern but quite relaxed with its laid back ambiance and tropical climate.

We stayed at the Shangri-La Hotel which was a lovely treat and based right in the centre of town on the Marina. From here we got picked up very early one day (4am) to head out on a Hot Air Balloon ride over the Atherton Tablelands. This was truly brilliant and something I have wanted to do for a long time. There were 20 people in the basket in total, including Pepe our Spanish pilot. The landing was a little bumpy and the basket ended up on its side in the middle of a cattle field but it was all part of the fun! Once the enormous balloon (which could hold 450k basket balls) had deflated we helped pack it away which was hilarious but actually quite difficult. (Check out our little video, you might have to copy and paste this into your browser https://youtu.be/WQwCKROJk5g )

We also went on a Crocodile Jet Ski tour which started in the Marina. The tour lasted an hour and whilst we got quite close to the mangroves we didn’t manage to see any Crocs. This wasn’t a problem for Dean who was more interested in how fast he could go!

Headed straight into a storm!

Now we are off to meet the China family at the airport, where Dean intends to hold up his handmade sign to welcome them!